Basic Rabbit Terminology

As a new rabbit person, you may find the world of rabbits to be a very confusing place. Here is a list of basic terminology you should know as you get involved with rabbits:

4-H - An organization for youth in America ages 5-18 to learn about the care and showing of animals. 4-H hosts a variety of 'projects', such as animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, beekeeping, horses, dogs, and pigs, and stills such as woodworking, sewing, and cooking. 4-H was originally created to preserve the agricultural way of living in a technological age. The 4 H's stand for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.ARBA - the American Rabbit Breeder's Association. An organization that organizes rabbit shows, provides information and registration programs for breeders and owners, and recognizes 49 unique breeds of rabbit, as well as 13 unique breeds of cavy (guinea pig). They write the Standard of Perfection for rabbits and cavies in America.Breed - A unique type of rabbit with specific characteristics, such as ear length, and body shape, and fur type, that are passed down through each generation.Brood quality - A purebred rabbit that may not do well on the show tables for any number of reasons. but has the potential to produce show quality offspring.​Buck - A male rabbit.Condition - How healthy the rabbit is.Culling - Removing a rabbit from your herd. This can mean selling a rabbit for show, brood, or pet purposes, or humanely euthanizing it, depending on the best interests of the rabbit in question.Doe - A female rabbit.Fixing - Spaying or neutering a rabbit.FFA - Future Farmers of America. An organization similar to 4H, but purely agricultural. Open only to high schoolers in America.Gestation - The pregnancy of a doe.​Gestation period - How long a doe is pregnant for. Rabbits are typically pregnant for 28-32 days, with 31 being the average.Grand Champion - A rabbit that has won 3 legs, 1 or more of which must have been won as a Intermediate or Senior (depending on breed), and under at least 2 different judges, has a complete 3 generation pedigree, and has been registered by ARBA as a Grand Champion. The rabbit will then have the title of GC before their registered name.Kindling - The act of giving birth.Kit - A baby rabbit (usually under 12 weeks old).Leg - An award a rabbit can win for winning its class. The class must include at least 5 rabbits with at least 3 owners showing in order for the win to grant the rabbit a leg.Neuter - To remove the reproductive organs of a male rabbit.Pedigree - A document detailing a particular rabbit and its parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. Includes each rabbit's name, as well as the tattoo, variety, awards, registration number, Grand Champion number, weight, and date of birth.Pet quality - A rabbit that does not meet the breed standard closely enough to warrant breeding or showing. These rabbits should never be bred, and are best used as pets.Purebred - A rabbit whose parents, grandparents, and great grandparents are all of the same breed.Rabbitry - A place where rabbits live, eat, and are bred.Show - A place where rabbits compete in breed showing, Showmanship, and other competitions.Showing - A competition where rabbits are judged on how well they conform to their breed standard. They are judged by breed first, and then the best rabbit of each breed (BOB) competes against all the other BOB winners for the Best In Show (BIS) title.Showmanship - A competition for youth in which the competitors perform detailed health examinations on their animals and answer knowledge questions.Show quality - A purebred rabbit that has a chance of winning at rabbit shows.Spay - To remove the reproductive organs of a female rabbit.Standard of Perfection - A book published by ARBA that details how an ideal rabbit or cavy of each recognized breed should look. Breeders must always consult the SOP to understand what they are breeding and selecting their rabbits for.Variety - A color of rabbit.